Being a hospital patient can be a disquieting experience. The primary purpose of our Pastoral Care Services staff is to provide support, reassurance and counseling to patients and their families in times of crisis and to strengthen each patients own spiritual resources.

The services of the Pastoral Care Services are available to all patients, families, staff, physicians and volunteers with respect given to each persons religious belief and practices.

Chaplains place a high priority on teamwork with community clergy, working with them to assure that each patient receives attention from his or her own pastor, priest, rabbi or other spiritual caregiver. HRMC chaplains may initiate interaction with any patient to offer pastoral care; however, priority is given to referral from physicians, nurses, other members of the healthcare team, members of the patients family, area clergy, and requests from the patients themselves.

Employee counseling is a regular part of the chaplains day as well. A beautiful chapel just off the main lobby is dedicated to prayer and meditation and may be used by any patient, family member, staff member or volunteer. 

Sacred music is played over the hospital intercom on weekends and TV channel 40 provides Christian programming free of charge.     

Our Pastoral Care staff helps people cope with loss or grief by conducting grief recovery programs two times a year. The Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice co-sponsors this community service. Bereavement counseling referrals can be arranged by calling the Pastoral Care office.

Adventist HealthCare is concerned with the treatment of the whole personphysical, mental, spiritual. A Bible and other inspirational reading materials are available to every patient in our hospital. Additional material can be obtained from the chaplain.

Pastoral Care works collaboratively within the interdisciplinary team to coordinate meeting spiritual needs and to nurture a caring and healing environment. Chaplains offer pastoral care and counseling, crisis ministry, emotional and spiritual support, and conduct religious services (such as worships, weddings, memorial services, funerals and communion) and coordinate supportive and educational programs (such as Grief Recovery).

The manager of Pastoral Care Services is theologically educated at the Masters level, ordained and credentialed, clinically trained through accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), denominationally endorsed for specialized ministry and is Board Certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC).

The chaplain associate is ecclesiastically endorsed as a spiritual care provider.

Volunteer chaplains, who take occasional on-call during evenings, nights, and weekends, are area clergy of demonstrated professional competence who have been oriented to their role as the relief chaplain.

Any additional personnel such as staff chaplain or student chaplain will have sufficient training, experience and supervision to provide services expected of them. 

All chaplains, associates and volunteer chaplains annually sign confidentiality statements and annually sign agreement with APCs Code of Ethics.
Regular hours for the Pastoral Care Department are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Friday. An HRMC chaplain or volunteer chaplain is on call 24 hours every day. Chaplains respond within five minutes for an emergency during office hours and within 30 minutes when on call during evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

The chaplain is contacted through ext. 7757 during weekdays, and through the hospital operator at all other times.